Or is it just a load of rubbish?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A Dark Cave! A Caldron Boiling! Thunder!
Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.
Thrice; and once the hedge-pig whin'd.
Harpier cries:--"tis time, 'tis time.
Round about the caldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.--
Toad, that under cold stone,
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot!
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and caldron, bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and caldron, bubble.
Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,
Witch's mummy, maw and gulf
Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark,
Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark,
Liver of blaspheming Jew,
Gall of goat, and slips of yew
Sliver'd in the moon's eclipse,
Nose of Turk, and Tartar's lips,
Finger of birth-strangl'd babe
Ditch-deliver'd by a drab,--
Make the gruel thick and slab:
Add thereto a tiger's chaudron,
For the ingredients of our caldron.
Double, double, toil and trouble;
Fire, burn; and caldron, bubble.
Cool it with a baboon's blood,
Then the charm is firm and good.
O, well done! I commend your pains;
And everyone shall share i' the gains.
And now about the cauldron sing,
Like elves and fairies in a ring,
Enchanting all that you put in.
The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain
The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.
By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.
By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.
By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Grains of truth? Contemptible list?
Top 100 British Albums
(The Obsever - Sunday June 20, 2004)
1. The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses
2. Revolver, The Beatles
3.
4. Astral Weeks, Van Morrison
5. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
6. The Beatles, The Beatles
7. Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones
8. Exile on
9. Blue Lines, Massive Attack
10. Metal Box, PiL
11. The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars, David Bowie
13. The Clash, The Clash
14. Never Mind The Bollocks, The Sex Pistols
15. Club Classics Vol 1, Soul II Soul
16. Five Leaves Left, Nick Drake
17. The Specials, The Specials
18. Closer, Joy Division
19. Definitely Maybe, Oasis
20. Loveless, My Bloody Valentine
21. The Smiths, The Smiths
22. Hounds Of Love, Kate Bush
23. For Your Pleasure, Roxy Music
24. OK Computer, Radiohead
25. Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Pink Floyd
26. Roxy Music, Roxy Music
27. Unhalfbricking, Fairport Convention
29. Roxy Music, Stranded
30. Unknown Pleasures, Joy Division
31. New Boots And Panties!!, Ian Dury And The Blockheads
32. Rubber Soul, The Beatles
33. Spirit Of
34. Every Picture Tells A Story, Rod Stewart
35. Bryter Layter, Nick Drake
36. Rock Bottom, Robert Wyatt
37. The Queen Is Dead, The Smiths
39. Low, David Bowie
40. Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin
41. The Bends, Radiohead
42. Lexicon Of Love, ABC
43. The La's, The La's
44. Bummed, Happy Mondays
45. John Lennon And The Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon And The Plastic Ono Band
46. Solid Air, John Martyn
47. Hatful Of Hollow, The Smiths
48. Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin
49. Here Come The Warm Jets, Brian Eno
50.
51. The Yes Album, Yes
52. Handsworth Revolution, Steel Pulse
53. Just Another Diamond Day, Vashti Bunyan
54. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, Dexys Midnight Runners
55. Entertainment, Gang Of Four
56. All Mod Cons, The Jam
58. Cut, The Slits
59. Urban Hymns, The Verve
60. Maxinquaye, Tricky
61. My Aim Is True, Elvis Costello
62. Meat Is Murder, The Smiths
63. Dark Side Of The Moon, Pink Floyd
64. Aladdin Sane, David Bowie
65. Power, Corruption and Lies, New Order
66. Something Else, The Kinks
67. Moondance, Van Morrison
68. Screamadelica, Primal Scream
69. Goodbye Yellow Brickroad, Elton John
70. (What's The Story) Morning Glory, Oasis
71. The Slider, T Rex
72. Grand Prix, Teenage Fanclub
73. Jailbreak, Thin Lizzy
74. Quadrophenia, The Who
75. Original Pirate Material, The Streets
76. Parklife, Blur
77. Dusty in
78. Let it Bleed, Rolling Stones
79. Penguin Eggs, Nic Jones
80. Station To Station, David Bowie
81. Dummy, Portishead
82. Basket Of Light, Pentangle
83. My Generation, The Who
84. Road To Freedom, Young Disciples
85. Hunky Dory, David Bowie
86. Don't Stand Me Down, Dexy's Midnight Runners
87. This Nation's Saving Grace, The Fall
88. Young Americans, David Bowie
89. Band On The Run, Wings
90. Regatta De Blanc, The Police
91. Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin
92. Paranoid, Black Sabbath
93. Parachutes, Coldplay
94. Behaviour, Pet Shop Boys
95. Dizzee Rascal, Boy In Da Corner
96. Dare, The Human League
97. Heaven Or
98. Rattlesnakes, Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
99. The Holy Bible, Manic Street Preachers
100. Sweet Dreams, The Eurythmics
Source Article:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,13887,1240033,00.html
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
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